The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-16
nix WOMEN MURDEREKS
WHO ARE SERVING OUT THEIR
N LIPE IMPRISONMENTS.
What They Have to Say for Them.
selves and OF Their HOr-
rible Crimes.


hurderers, and how they generally es
faped the extreme penalty of theil
Primes on account OF their sex. To
bome natures the prospect OF life
Iong Imprisonment would undoubted
II be worse than death, but as to the
Pix women now behind the gloomy
Ealls OF the Kings County Peniten.
tary whose hands, like those of the
Herkimer county woman, are stained
Nth human blood, there is no doubt
put that they would far rather con,
lnue in their present quarters through
IN unbroken number of years than be
lwung outinto eternity. A represent
tive of the Union visited Warden
Freen yesterday and inspected the
Fmale prison where these six
hurderesses are confined. It was
bout noon, and the reporter was
ible to observe T some little time the
rowd OF female convicts at their mid
lay meal without himself being OBJ
erved by them. The fact was i'm
ressed upon the scribe's mind that
bese unfortunate creatures, although
Ienned up within the narrow confines
y a prison, we're not, by any means,
b dejected as might be supposed. The
TX life prisoners mingled among the
bet, talked, gossiped and acted in as
ipconcerned manner as they would
Id they been the occupants of q
ax.er street tenement. They acted
if they were resigned or Indifferent
Their fate, and yet every one Of these
Fers has been in the penitsntiary for
least ten years. One of them is now
hdergoiDg her twenty-third year Of
hprisonment, and another her
Fenty.ninth. 1t has been remarked
lat one gets accustomed to almost
bything, and the action of these
lomen did not belle the senti-
lent. There ex murderesses,
y appearance and in the
Inount of intelligence depicted on
3eir countenancas, remind one of the
fersge class OF women who can be
ZEN any day in a walk through the
liver wards Ct New York. or upon a
pit to any Of the tenement house dis
Jets of this city. They are neither
bove or below the average. No Lu.
dBtia Borgian villainy is shown in
jeir countenauces, nor do they ap.
lar innocent and guileless. They
e sll rong looking and comfortably
1oportioned. There is, perhaps, a
3nted expression about their eyes,
bich is MOTTO be wondered at, consid.
ing the fact that for,years they have
bked. upon the came scenes, con.
hplate3 the same stone walls, and
lard no word of tender sympathy
dhich, perhaps, after all, they would
Il appreciate). The most prominent
bong these modern Borgians is Sarah
books. She was convicted twenty
Zee years ago for killing her
kp daughter by administering
w ipoison. The two women
n quarreled over the disposition OF
ne property, and Mrs. Brooks
bse this rather vigorous method OF
Wing rid OF her rival. She is sup.
bed also to have poisoned number
other persons. She is about 81
hrs of age, tall, gaunt and angular,
bids strangers, and is not fond OF
king about herself. OF the other
"liiers" Emma Whimple, black.
Ared, dark visaged womsn, was con-
ated ss an accessory to the murder
her husband. she was only 10
re- old when che began her long i'm
eonment. Mary e. johnson, a COL
III woman, WAS convicted upon q
Urge of infsnticide. Annie Barnie,
convicted of infanticids (she
Wing thrown her new born babe in
Ia canal) is q little low-sized Irish
man, aud looks like anything but
Irderess. Mary Fisher, convicted
the murder OF her husband, has
n in prison twenty-eight years,
has served ten of them
the Kings County PeniteI-
III. She always wears white
on her head, and looks
b French bonnie retired on a pen
h. Lastly, Wilhelmiua Wyke, a
Imam, Was sentenced for numbering
husband. The Wyke woman is
recluse of the prison. She keeps
her cell nearly sill the tine, and re-
es to associate even with her fellow
Boners. The Union reporter OBJ
bed an interview with two OF these
prisoners, Mary E Johnson, the
pred child slayer, is the most intel
Mt OF the lot. She is sharp eyed,
It mulatto, and her voice is low and
hsant. 81 have no one to do any
hg for me-" she said, $50 l suppose
hall pass the rest of my days in
bon. l have been ten years here
two years at Sing Sing. While
at the latter place they wanted to
! me to the Auburn Insane Asy-
and tried to make out that l was
ne, but 1 would not have
Is / did not care about living
bng crazy people. Mr.. Green
always bsen very kind to me-. 1
charge of the Office and the
ron's rooms, and run errands for
matron. Sunday read books and
srs and fix up my cell. 1 get along
we'll here and have nothing to
plain Of" The reporter accom-
led Mary to her cell and found it
worth an inspection. The tiny
b. was quite tastefully decorated
pictures, artificial flowers and
ks, which soma benevolent people
given her. In a little alcove,
le Of white muslin, stood plaster
arts image Of the Virgin, and
Ind it were hung several sacred
ures. The cell was as neat and
n as soap and water could make
Emma Whimple, who, as has
stated, was found guilty of being
ccessory to her husbands murder,
the following story of the crime:
married my husband, Charles
nipple, when 1 was a mere
We lived happily until we
a man named Nelson II.
into our house as boarder.
day, three months after Mr.. Cole
9 to live with us, my husband died
dose of poison. Mr.. Cole and
re arrested for the murder, and we
b both sentenced to life imprison-
(, he for the crime and as an &C.
plice. Mr.. Cole died in Auburn
on in 1883, and on the 22d day OF
N ch l will have served twelve years.
I've two children, who are living
their fathers people, and for
cake should like to be let out
bison. Tn y said Nelson Cole was